The Red Lake Nation and Simpson Housing Services have partnered to oversee the center in south Minneapolis with support from a coalition of government and community partners, including the City of Minneapolis, which provided funding for the three large sprung structures at the site owned by the Red Lake Nation. It is a safe, warm and service-rich environment.

The Franklin/Hiawatha homeless encampment closed Dec. 21.

Background on temporary Navigation Center

(Above: Inside one of the Navigation Center's sprung structure's under construction Dec. 13)

The temporary Navigation Center at 2109 Cedar Ave. provides a safe and service-rich environment for people who were living at the encampment. The Red Lake Nation owns the Navigation Center site and will provide security and some of the social services at the center. The center will remain open until May 2019. After that, the Red Lake Nation is breaking ground on a new affordable housing project at the site.

The City has worked closely with partners on the development of the center and provided funding for three large heated sprung structures on site.

Background on encampment

The encampment served as a symbol of Minneapolis’ housing crisis. The city faces several housing challenges, including a shortage of affordable housing, record low vacancy rates, homelessness and housing instability.

Overview of encampment outreach work

The City worked closely with community and government partners to provide extensive outreach at the encampment before it closed in late December.

“We are trying to find options not just for now — not just for a problem that is epitomizing a larger problem — but thinking beyond that to say what are we going to do in general for all of our communities who are facing homelessness,” said Minneapolis City Coordinator Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde during a presentation to a City Council committee in fall of 2018.

Several departments across the City enterprise were heavily involved in outreach work at the encampment.

The Minneapolis Health Department: The City’s Health Department took the lead in coordinating work with several partners to improve sanitation, health and hygiene at the encampments. Key priorities included:

Improving sanitation by installing portable toilets and handwashing stations to prevent the spread of disease such as hepatitis A. (Note: With the arrival of cold weather, the stations have been replaced with sanitizing wipes.)

Working with community partners including Southside Harm Reduction, Vahalla and Natives Against Heroin to minimize the risks associated with drug use by ensuring access to clean needles and sharps collection, among other things.

Working with the state and county epidemiologists on disease surveillance to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Coordinating with Hennepin Healthcare for the Homeless and Livio to ensure triage and first aid.

Coordinating with the Minnesota Department of Health to provide rapid testing of diseases, such as HIV, syphilis and Hepatitis C.

Assuring people are connected to a home clinic so they can establish regular healthcare.

Working with Hennepin County to offer training on self-care to care providers.

The Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) department worked with partners, including the Red Lake Nation, on establishing the Navigation Center.

The Public Works Department installed a hydrant-based drinking fountain to provide easy access to safe drinking water; partnered with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to provide twice-a-day solid waste services; and coordinated with MnDOT to place a generator powered light tower at the encampment.

The Minneapolis Police Department’s 3rd Precinct conducted regular patrols at the encampment. Sgt. Grant Snyder, MPD’s homeless liaison, also spent significant time at the encampment, building relationships and connecting people with social service agencies.

The Fire Department work on the encampment centered around fire safety and emergency response. The Chief and the Assistant Chiefs visited the encampment on multiple occasions to discuss fire safety and code requirements in response to the open fires at the encampment. The MFD also responded to medical emergencies in the encampment and provided treatment along with Hennepin County EMS.

Hennepin County

Hennepin County worked in close partnership with the City and community partners on outreach efforts. The County also recently accepted state funding to provide supportive services and temporary housing for encampment residents experiencing substance use disorders at the former Kateri Residence near the encampment.

County staff from several departments were engaged work at the encampment, including:

Healthcare for the Homeless, a unit within Hennepin County Human Services and the Public Health Department.

Housing Stability department.

Chemical health and addiction services.

Mobile crisis teams.

Emergency programs.

Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors

The Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors (MUID) is a coalition of leadership of the region’s Native American-led nonprofits. MUID took the lead in working with the City and other partners in finding short, mid- and long-term solutions to help encampment residents. MUID oversees the Franklin/Hiawatha Encampment website. Red Lake Nation

The Red Lake Nation worked closely with the City on developing the temporary Navigation Center on land it owns near the encampment.

State of Minnesota

Several State of Minnesota leaders and agencies were involved in outreach work at the encampment, including:

Cathy ten Broeke, the director to prevent and end homelessness for the State of Minnesota.

Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness (includes 11 state agencies, the Met Council and the Governor’s office).

QUICK LINKS

Accessibility: For reasonable accommodations or alternative formats, contact 311. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 at 612-673-3000. TTY users can call 612-673-2157 or 612-673-2626.